BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr.
announced today that Jason E. Slocum, 44, of Wellsville, NY, pleaded guilty
before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to being a felon in
possession of firearms. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in
prison, and a fine of $250,000.Assistant U.S. Attorney Misha A. Coulson, who is handling
the case, stated that on October 1, 2018, a 911 caller reported a domestic dispute
at the defendant’s residence on Williams Avenue in Wellsville. Upon arrival,
Wellsville police officers found a female sitting inside a vehicle, in the
driveway of the residence, smoking a cigarette. She was determined to be a
resident of the residence. The woman reported she and Slocum, who have a child
together, started arguing that morning. During the argument, the defendant
damaged her cellphone and other items around the house. Following the argument,
the woman went outside and Slocum locked her out of the house, which prevented
her from entering the residence again. The woman also advised officers that her
autistic son was still inside with the defendant.
Officers then conducted a room by room safety sweep of the home
to ensure there were not any additional people present in the residence. During
that sweep, officers discovered an AK-style rifle in the closet of Slocum’s
bedroom.
Subsequently, officers executed a search warrant of the
residence and recovered several firearms, including an AK-style semi-automatic rifle,
and ammunition. The defendant was previously convicted in 1996 of Attempted
Burglary in Allegany County Court, and is legally prohibited from possessing a
gun.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special
Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division, and the Wellsville
Police Department, under the direction of then-Chief Steven Mattison. Sentencing
is scheduled for June 8, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Skretny.